dutifull obedience to her Maiestie in all teÌ„poral matters which to any of her catholique ancestors hath â—uer bin exhibited by their dearest people VVherfore seeing there is no difficultie nor demerit on the behalf of the catholiques why this benifit should not be granted to theÌ„ who were in possession of it at the entrance of her Maiestie to the crown and had expresse promises to haue it continued stil and on the other side there be many and most weightie reasons to moue her Maiestie to haue compassion of them and to aleuiate their grieuous pressures and vexations after so many years of sufferance your Lordships haue the most honorable iust and pious cause in the world wherin to be mediators to her Maiestie for so principal a parte of your common-wealth as your catholiques be And for so much as this cause hath not only these three partes specified of pietie iustice and honor to moue your Lordships withall which yet I presume would to such men be sufficient but also includeth so many other like perswasiue motiues as either prudence or christian reason of state can comprehend as namely security continuance strength vnion peace defence vtilitie comfort ease ornament alacritie facility and the like great hope is conceiued that your Lordships wil not refuse to imbrace the same And surely my lordes the same reasons and many more might iustly moue her Maiestie and your Lordships also to take in hand the perfection of that greatest woorke so earnesty thought vpon by her Maiesties noble father King Henry the eight in his later dayes as before you haue heard by the publique protestation and other of Bishop Gardener his neerest and dearest Councelor in those dayes And you haue in the same matter the present example and president of the great king and kingdome of France which most wisely and happely hath followed the same resolution and hath found infinite ease honour and benefyte therby both before God and man and it is and wilbe of great consequence in Christianitie and ought no doubt to moue her Maiestie and your Lordships much Yet for that the hartes of Princes are in the handes of God to be moued when to his diuine wisdome mercy and iustice shalbe thought best and for that the sinnes of our couÌ„trie are great manifold which haue brought forth so greeuous afflictioÌ„s vpoÌ„ our selues by our selues if the multitude of these our demerits be such as do hinder so great vniuersal a blessing as would be for vs to see her Maiestie and the realme reâ—nited agayne to that spiritual fountayne of the seaâ— Apostolique by which all perfect vnionâ— must insue yet in a secondarie degree of comfort is desired that at least the persecution for religion may cease agaynst Catholiques and they be suffered to lyue in the religion wherin her Maiesties noble ancestors and your Lordships forefathers liued and dyed most christianly and honorably from the first conuersion of our land from paganisme to christan religion euen vnto these our dayes The memory of which your progenitors now dead and of their soules yet liuing and what sense and feeling they haue of these things and what they would say to you and do in this behalf if they were heer again to see men afflicted and pursued for that faith and religion which they so much esteemed and sought to aduance and by which we cannot but piously presume and hope that they be now saued and made partakers of Christes euerlasting glory with whome we can neuer haue parte nor fellowship again if we follow not their steps in the same religion this cogitation I say ought greatly to moue your Lordships to do somwhat in this so weightie and important sute of the afflicted catholiques And further I appeale to your Lordships wise consideration what a comfort it might be to her Maiestie now in her elder age and later part of her gouernment and to your Lordships also to see once all sortes of people merry contented louing and confident within the realme al to laugh and sing together all to pray to God most hartely for her Maiesties health wealth and prosperous long continuance al to be vnited in defence of the realme all made frends and familiar together as in Germanie and other places men be notwithstanding the differences of religion which more easely perhaps would be taken away and vnion brought in when freely and confidently men might confer and eche man shew his reason without feare and heare another mans argument without suspition of fraud or violence to be vsed This was the first proposition that Protestantes made vnto the world at their first appearance which they accompanied with many scriptures reasons both diuine and humane that fayth ought not to be forced They haue obtayned in sundrye countries their petition and therfore cannot in reason and honor be agaynst the same petition now made by Catholiques to her Maiestie and to your lordships in England and that with so much more equitie and iustice by how much longer Catholiques haue byn in possession of their Religion then Protestantes of theirs especially within England Your Lordships haue had many yeares experience now of the present maner of proceeding by affliction of Catholiques where one part of the land hath wept whyle the other hath laughed the one sort sighed whyle the other singed the one triumphed whyle many others haue mourned complayned and exclaymed let some proof be made of the other way also wherby contentmeâ—t is geuen to all let it be tried once in her Maiesties dayes how matters will go when all emnitie and hostillitie is taken out of the bowels of our commonwealth when the catholique man and woman in England may deale with their neighbour in loue and confidence when our noble and worshipful gentlemen abrode may returne home shew their loyal duties to their Soueraigne without offence or peril or force offred to their conscience for matters of religion when our English merchantes may traffique freely throughout the world without peril of piracie or confiscations when our home gentlemen may trauel with lyke libertie where it seemeth them best for increase of their experience to serue their country when our English students may visit forrayne vniuersityes without restraint and strangers come to ours and speake confer dispute and reason with modestie without danger of intrapping Let this my good Lords be proued for a time and let your honors as principal members of this afflicted body of our deuided realme be suters vnto her Maiestie as to the head for this sweet and holesome medicine by peace and composition within it self VVhereby there is no doubt but much honor mâ—â—it wil grow vnto your Lordships much comfort ease securitie to her Maiestie much ioy vtilitie vnto all her subiects much edification vnto our neighbours about vs much care and solicitude be taken away from all sortes of English much trooble and charges of warres excused much strength added to the
great Saint for his Christian libertie and constancie S. Chrysostome in lyke manner shalbe condemned for a great traytor who had greater contentions with his temporal Lordes Arcadius and Honorius Christian Emperours and with their wyues Theodosia and Eudoxia then euer S. Thomas had with king Henry the second For he prâ—ached agaynst them publiquely with great vehemencie and thundred out excomunication agaynst them and was twyce banished and driuen out of his Bishoprike by their disfauor and died in exile And yet was he neuer called or accompted a traytor but a singuler holy man and Theodosius the yonger son of Arcadius brought his body with great solemnitie honour and reuerence into Constantinople and wept most bitterly for the sinnes of his pareÌ„tes in persecuting so blessed a man And as the story sayth made prayer to him now dead for pardon of his fathers sinnes As did also often our king Henry the sonne for the offence of his father in being some cause of the death of this iust man his pastor and spiritual father Wel then to conclude this matter treason there was none nor could be in this contention of S. Thomas agaynst king Henry for it was donn with all due respect of the Archbil hopes parte and according to the lawes ecclesiastical both of churche realm And as for the mannes behaueour and actions in the rest of his lyf if we beleeue three or foure historiographers together of greate credit and sanctitie that liued at the same tyme and conuersed with him they were admirable in all kynd of vertue His death was by wilfull murder without iustice or commaundment of king or any magistrate as all the world knoweth His canonization was presently vpon his death by diligent inquiry of all factes and circumstances and by vniuersal applause of all christendom King Henry the second excused himself of the murder admitted his canonization builded his shryne and sepulcher adorned the same with greate giftes came thither in person and not only denyed as I haue sayed that his intention euer extended to his murder but also tooke seuere punishement and pennaÌ„ce of himself for the vniust wrath that by incitation of others he had conceyued agaynst so holy a man of which penance of the kings one that liued at the same tyme and saw it wryteth that he opened his naked shoulders at the sepulcher and receyued first fyue ierkes at fyue Bishops handes and fourescore and three at so many monks â—andes and after lay on the bare ground and other such circuÌ„stances as in the author you may read All those that had byn enemies to the blessed man or had had parte in his death came after to greate miserie by Gods iust iudgmentes And fynally all the Christian world for these foure hundred yeares haue holden him for a glorious martir and builded many a churche to God in his memorie in other countries many great moâ—arches haue come to England of purpose to visit his sepulcher and others haue sent great presentes and donaries Many miracles haue â—yn recorded by graue authors and publique testimony of the whole â— land to haue byn wrought by God at his sepulcher in witnes of his â—anctitie All these testimonies then being extant in the world for so many hundred yeares together let any man iudge whether they ought â—ot to be of more weight with a wyse and pious Christian then this â—raynles calumniation of a mad hasty hoat spurr that knoweth â—ot what he sayth and much lesse careth or indeuoureth how to â—roue it But let vs see now his third position that he feigneth to be among â—s as a grouÌ„d of religioÌ„ These two irreligious prophane grouÌ„des saith he â—eing layd though you haue seen that the knight hath layd them as fiâ—ions of his own grownds of ours they proceed to a third set it down â—r a Popish ground also that it was a dangerous and deadly sinne for any man 〈◊〉 disobey the Pope and his cleargie in any of their orders inioyned and commanded in such reuerence and regard must he and his cleargie be had that the meanestâ— masse Priest comming with authority from him must be obeyed vnder payn of damnation though he commaund that which is blasphemous before God in Christians and disloyal to men in subiects This is his narration from which if ye separate a manifest lye oâ— two with some fond exagerations for without this kynde of leuiâ— the poore knight can make no batch as for example that the Pope anâ— his Cleargie must be obeyed though they commaund blasphemies against God and disloyalty against princes which is a shameles slander and that the disobedience if he speake of omission in any one order inioyned by Pope and Cleargie is a deadly sinn and the lyke if you separatâ— I say these ouer lauishings of the hastie knight all the rest he obiecteth is rather commendation of Catholique religion then any reproche at all for in that he saith wee obey the meanest preest as the highest if he come with authoritie of the highest he sheweth therby that we haue among vs true obedience and subordination and thaâ— for conscience sake Not respecting so much the person that commandeth as him for whome and in whose name and authoritie hâ— commandeth and therin we fulfill the precept of S. Paule Obedite praâ—positis vestris subiacete eis ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabuâ— restris reddituri Obey your Prelates and humble your selues vnto them he distinguisheth not betwene high and lowe for they keep diligent watche ouer your soules as men that must render account theroâ— to God And in other places he sayth that this obedience must bâ— with such reuerence humilitie and inward affection as vnto Chryâ—â— himself whose substitutes our spiritual superiours be though neuer so mean or contemptible in mannes sight And again S. Paul sayth this obedience must be non solum propteâ— iram sed etiam propter conscientiam not only for feare of punishment but also for conscience that is vnder pain of deadly sinne or of damnation though this wise knight do iest at the phrase which yet is the proper phrase of S. Paul himself in the same place saying qui autem resistuâ— damnationem sibi acquirunt those that resist to obey procure damnation to themselues And this is answere sufficient for so ydle an obiectionâ— that we obey the meanest masse Priest coÌ„ming with authority of the highest in which matter I could teach Sir Francis a spirituall poinâ— of doctrine if he were capable of it and most true to witt that the meaner the substitute is that is obeyed in the name and place of any potent prince or superior the greater honor is donn to the sayd prince or superior and the greater vertue is argued therby to be in him that obeyeth for that he is not induced by any talent or commendation of the sayd substitute to obey him but only for loue
his dignitie Bishopâ—ke held in the tower all the tyme of that gouernmeÌ„t wherin the â—uke ruled all but yet the duke being condeÌ„ned to death knowing â—e gentle nature of the Bishop that he was nothing vindicatiue he â—esolued to rely vpoÌ„ him of all other men so made petitioÌ„ after senâ—ce of death geueÌ„ agaynst him that he might speake only with the Biâ—hop before his death as well about matters concerning his soule â—nd conscience as also for disposing of his other affaires VVhich peâ—tion being graunted though somewhat hardly by the Queen and â—ouncel for that it had byn hindred by the Dukes aduersaries that â—new and feared in this case the Bishops tendernes of hart at last he â—as sent to the tower in the company of an other Councelor to be â—resent at their talke who afterward recounted and I haue heard it â—om his own mouth the hartie teares that the said Bishop shed at â—e sight and conference with the Duke who after much speech said â—o the Bishop towards the end with great affliction of mynd My â—ood lord B. And is there no hope at all for me to liue and to do â—ome pennance in the rest of my dayes for my sinnes past alas let me â—ue a litle longer though it were but in a mous-hole To which the Bishop answered o my lord I would God that any thing could haue â—ontented your grace but a kingdom when you were at libertie and â—n prosperitier and now also I would it lay in my power to geue you â—his mous-hole for I would allow you the best pallace I haue in the world to be your mous-hole and I do offer to do for you what I can â—oâ—sibly But yet for that your offence is great sentence is past aâ—aynst you and your aduersaries are many it shalbe best for you to prouyde for the woorst and especialie that you stand well with God in matters of conscience and religion for to speake playnlie it is mosâ— lykely that you must dye To that the Duke answered that he would dispose him self and desired he might haue a learned preest sent him for his confession and spiritual coÌ„fort And as for religion sayd he you know my Lord B. that I can be of no other but of yours which is the Catholique for â— neuer was of any other in deed nor euer so foolish as to beleeue any of that which we haue set vp in King Edwardes dayes but only to vse the same to my owne purpose of ambition for which God forgeue me and so I meane to testifie publiquely at my death for it is the truth so he did and his coÌ„fession was put forth in print as the world knoweth and at this day much of it extant in Stowes chronicleâ— B. Gardener went away with an afflicted hart for the Duke shed many a teare for him on the way as he returned and presently went to the Queen and intreated so earnestly for him as he had haâ— gayned her consent for his lyf which so much terrified the Dukes aduersaries as presently they got the Emperour Charles that was iâ— Flanders to wryte to the Queen a verie resolute and ernest letter that it was not safe for her nor the state to pardon his lyf and with that he was executed All which story I haue byn inforced to repeate a litle the more larger therby to check the malignant speech of this our sicophanâ— knight against so worthie a man whome he will needes make â— bloody and cruel monster and to haue sought malitiously the death of her Maiestie when she was Lady Elizabeth VVhich was so faâ— of from his condition and nature espetially she being at that tyme an obiect rather of loue and compassion then of enuy and hatred aâ— I dare say he doth him apparent and wilful wrong Yet it may be that he hath heard somewhat about the discouery of a certaynâ— bracelet imputed to the Chancelor in examination of Sir Thomas Wiattes affayres and his complices In which bracelet it was said that all the secretie of that conspiracie lay hidden and that the Chancelor did pearse the matter further then others which may be alsâ— true that point belonging then to his office and obligation but that he euer vsed or vrged the knowledge gotten therof to the ladies peril this Hastinges neither in hast nor by leasure will euer be able to proue And so much of this poynt touching her Maiesties person Let vs examine the rest that he writeth of B. Gardener some â— the woords were repeated before but heer they are necessary againâ—â— by reason of the commixion with that which followeth The recusants sayth he cannot professe more loyalty and loue to the Queen that now is then did Gardener to her father and brother writing a booke de vera obedientia c. But when these two noble princes were dead and Queen Marie in the kingdom then he did tear of his glorious vizard for he and his compliâ—ces neuer rested vntil they had brought in the Spanyard aud matched him with Queen Marie by which they betrayed God her and the whole realme It seemeth that this poore seely man is either very ignorant in matters of our own realm or very badly bent to tel manifest vntruthes For who knoweth not that albeit Bishop Gardener at the beginning of king Henryes defection from the church of Rome being born away with the stream of the tyme and with some feare of the kings violent proceeding and not very full instructed perhaps in that controuersie of the Supremacie for that it was at the very first entrance to his Bishoprik after the fall of Cardinal VVolsey shaken also with the frailty of humane infirmity he shronk with S. Peter and stepped somwhat asyde in that booke of his de vera obedientia c. But yet how soon he did recall himself agayn and condemned his owne doing therin and how much also he preuailed in secret with the king himself in that poynt of doctrine you shall hear afterward by his own testimony And as for king Edwards raigne it is a flat fable and fiction which our knight telleth vs of Bishop Gardeners following the sway also of that time for it is well knowen that he being one of the cheifest among those sixteen counsellors that were apoynted by king Henries testament and earnest charge of mouth at his last hower to gouern his sonne and realme during the minoritie of the yong king with expresse commaundement also of the dead king that neither protector should be chosen nor yet any poynt of Luthers Zwinglius or Caluins religion brought in Bishop Gardener as a faithful counsellor striued what he could at the very first entrance to haue both these orders of king Henry obserued But ambitioÌ„ ouerbearing all first a Protector within 40. howers after the kings death and then soone after an innouation also of religion was thrust vpon the realme by violence of some that packed
who haue instituted the degrees of Doctors Licenciates Maisters and Bachelers and apointed preferments for them you or we And to speake of positiue Diuinitie only and Scriptures wherof you will seeme to bragg who haue conserued and published the Bible in the learned tongues of Hebrue Greek and Latin euen in our dayes Were not the Biblia Complutensia in all three tongues printed and set foorth by the expences of a fransiscan frier Cardinall Ximenes Arch-bishop of Toledo within these three or fourscore yeares And were not the last Biblia Regia set foorth in foure or fiue tongues by Catholique men by the authority and charges of his Catholique Maiestie of Spayn And are not the Comentaries written vpon the Scriptures by Catholique men euen at this day aboue twenty for one more then those of Protestants why then do heretiques lyke apes bragg and prate in presence of lions that in euery kinde oâ— learning do bear them downe But now to the second position VVhen they had thus setled this blinde cours saieth our knight to keepe the people from knowledge c. Then they offer an other position that it was not for lay men to medle with matters of religion that belonged only and wholy as 〈◊〉 priueledge to Priests thereby making them secure and careless of God and aâ— godlinesse In setting downe of this forged position there is some subtlety ioined with impudencie For first in the former parte where he sayth we hold that it is not for lay men to medle with religion he subtely leaueth doubtful this worde medle either to signifie that lay men must not determine or defyne matters of religion or els not to medle or care for them at all In the former sence we graunt that in Synods and Counsels where coÌ„trouersies of fayth are to be treated Priests and Clergy-men haue only authority to define and determine for that S. Paule sayth that they are apointed by the holy Ghoste to gouern the church though before they come to determine they do help themselues also by the learning of lay men and take their iudgement when they may giue light as in all Counsels is seen But in the second sence it is moste impudeÌ„t that he inferreth that hereby we would make lay meÌ„ secure careleâ— of God all godlinesse For how doth it follow The Queen of EnglaÌ„d doth refer the determinatioÌ„ of all good lawes orders vertuous proceedings within the realm vnto the voices of her priuie counsell or of the parlament ergo heerby she maketh free secure and careles all the rest of her realm from obseruation of good orders law and honest behaueour Or in the self same matter of religion I may argue thus the determination of matters of fayth is remitted only at this day in England to Bishops ministers and not to their wiues ergo heerby those â—ood wiues are made secure and careles of God all godlinesse there 〈◊〉 no difference in the consequence at all VVherfore as malice here lost her eyes so doth she also her wits in â—hat which followeth for presently he leapeth to raile vpon the â—aints of heauen and namely vpon S. Thomas of Canterbury though â—mpertinent to his purpose for he was treating of lay men as you â—aue hearde whome he sayth we make careles of God and all godlinesse â—or that we refer the determination of controuersies in religion not â—nto them but vnto Priests only and now let euery one consider how â—his consequence holdeth which enseweth and it is enough sayth he â—f one of these fellowes come diligently and deuoutly to hear masse goe to confesâ—ion once a year to be as religious a man secundum vsum Sarum as could be wiâ—hed and though he were to be tainted and to be taxed with the grossest sinnes â—et Rome by the authority from their vicar generall had at rik to hale them into the â—able of their Saints and so to canonize them as we haue example of Thomas Becket in Henry the thirds tyme whose treasons to the prince were apparent and manifest c. But before I answere in the cause of S. Thomas I will aduise this â—alumniator first that his skoff of a religious man secundum vsum Saâ—um is ridiculous on his side if we compare him to his holy ministers that follow the vse of the tauern at chaering crosse do neither heare masse nor go to confessioÌ„ once in seuen yeares nor meane to amend or â—â—ake satisfaction and then it is a great lye that we require nothing els â—ut going once a year and a far greater that men of the grossest sinnes â—re made Saints among vs and finally nothing els is heer but iests and lyes Secondly I put Sir knight in mynde that talking of lay men S. Thomas example that was a Priest and head of Priests was not to his purpose Thirdly moste grosly and ignorantly he erreth in the tymes for that S. Thomas his death and canonization was in King Henry the second and not the thirds as fondly he affirmeth but aboue thirty years before king Henry the third was borne Fourthly that this poore man maketh an vnequal match to fight with Saints and will rest in the end with a broken head And finally that he sayth S. Thomas his treasons to his prince were apparent manifest is a manifest slaunder For there is nothing in all the whole discourse of his controuersie with King Henrie the second that sauoureth of treason or that impugned any one law of the realm then in vre For that the recourse he made to Rome was lawfull at that day as it is now in any other Catholique country The controuersie was only about the liberty of the English Church which the king sought to abridge and the other as primate to defend Nor did the king or his officers chardge him with treasons nor could they by any shew of Iustice. For if in euery contention or dissention that a spiritual subiect or Ecclesiastical Prelate may haue with his temporall prince the subiect shalbe condemned of treason according to this seruile censure of Protestantes that to flatter princes make them absolute lordes both of body and sowl then Iohn Baptist also must be accompted a traytour that dealt so peremptorily with his king Herod that was his liege Lorde in temporal affayres Or if you will haue examples of Christian princes S. Ambrose must be a traytor first for resisting openly his Lord and king Valentinian the yonger then for handling so hardly the elder Theodosius Emperour in Millan as he shut him out of the church and made him goe home agayne with shame and do penance S. Hilarius also S Athanasius shalbe traitors for their contentions with Constantius their lawull Emperour and temporall Lord who bâ—nished them from their Bishoprikes And the former of the two wrote two vehement bookes inuectiues agaynst the sayd Emperour and yet no man euer accompted him a traytor for the same but rather a
together for their gaines more then for deuotion which Bishop Gardener seeing and not able to resist he spake his minde plainly touching religion in a sermon before the yong king and councell vpon Saint Peters day which was but fiue moneths after king Edwards raign for which sermon he was sent to the tower the morning after and lay there prisoner all king Edwards time and came not out vntill Queen Marie at her first entrance into the tower of london wheÌ„ she was Queen deliuered him and other catholique prisoners together and how then doth our steel-brow-knight write that Bishop Gardener Hattered both father and sonne and neuer shewed himself in religion vntil both of them were called to their last home and Queen Marie entred the crown let some frend blush for him if he haue not shame to do it himself Againe it is as great an vntruth and as grosse ignorance besydes to say as this man doth that Bishop Gardener and his complices brought in the Spaniard and mached him in mariage with Queen Marie For that euery childe acquaynted with that state knoweth or may learne that Bishop Gardener was of the contrarie part or faction that fauored yong Edward Courtney the Earle of deuonshire and would haue had him to Marie the Queen whome Bishop Gardener had held for his spiritual childe in the tower all king Edwardes tyme. And now the matter was so far forward as the mariage was held for certayne but that the contrarie syde and especially the Lord Paget partly by the acquaintance and credit he had gotten with Charles the Emperor in Flanders during king Edwards tyme and partely for the ielosie he had perhappes of B. Gardeners great affection to the Duke of Northumberland his greatest enemie who in king Edwards reigne had indeuored vtterly to disgrace him they procured I say the said Emperors most earnest and effectual letters to the Queen about her mariage with the Prince of Spayne which they did so vrge to the sayd Queen and with so many argumentes against Courtney espetially that he was neither sound in body nor religion as they got her consent and subscription to the sayd letters of the Emperor And then there was no further dealing to the contrary for that Queen Mary bore such exceeding loue and reuerence to the Emperor Charles her Cosin as she would not fayl in her word geuen to him for all the world VVherby we may imagin what a mortification Bishop Gardener and all the rest of his side that fauored Courtney did receaue by this change of the Queens will and purpose and therby also perceyue the folly and temerite of this rashe accuser who layeth to there charge the bringing in the Spaniard which yet if they had donne or had byn cause of that greatest and most honorable mariage that for many ages hath byn in Christendom and of greatest consequence if issue had followed therof if this I saie bad byn so as it was not why did they betray therin both God the Queen and there countrie as this wise Censurer affirmeth what grownds what reason may there be aleaged of this triple treason God receiued by this mariage the strengthening of his true religon the Queen got the greatest noblest and richest husband that was extant in Europe our countrie got many a thowsaud of Spanish treasure without losse of any as heerafter shal be shewed And wherin then stood this great offence But let vs passe ouer these follies of our knight in matters of state for that perhaps his prayse and skyll is only in armes yet one point more must I examine wherin he condemneth B. Gardener and this is for his sermon made at S. Paules crosse vpoÌ„ the wordes of the Apostle to the Romanes hâ—ra est iam nos de somno surgere It is now high tyme for vs to ryse out of sleep the night hath gone before the day is come c. and the rest that followeth there All which sacred scripture this learned religious knight sayth very peremptorily that it was most prophanely and blasphemously peruerted by the said Bishop and that to bloody purposes which we shal now à litle discusse This famous sermon was preached as I sayd before at Paules crosse after the mariage was celebrated between the King and the Queen who both were present at this speech of the Bishop nowe also hygh Chancelor and there prsent in like maner both Cardinal Poole legate of the sea Apostolique as also the Embassadors of the Emperor french King and other Princes and a marueylous great learned and noble auditorie besydes as euer perhaps was at any sermon in England before or after The Chancelors discourse was how long they had runne astray and byn in darknes of diuision and stryfe among themselues since first king Henry lefte the old troden path of his ancestors kinges and Queenes of England in matters of religion and brake from the vnion of the church of Rome and of other catholique kingdomes round about him and that now it was time to arise out of this sleep and to looke about them And in this discours and sermon the Chancellor vttered two principal thinges among other that greatly moued the whole auditory The first was the hartie and humble accusation of himself for his â—all and consenting to King Henryes will in that booke de vera obedienâ—tia which he did vtter with so great vehemencie of spirit and abundance of teà res as he could not goe forward and was forced diuers tymes to make some pawses which in such an audience especially of strangers also he being the cheefest person of the realme after the prince we may imagin what a temporal shame and confusion it was vnto him and how greatly it would moue the hearers and lookers on to see him make such an accusation of himself willingly of his owne accord without compulsion and with such earnestnes as he did And that there was no fiction or dissimulation in this act of his the end declared for when he fell sick afterward and drew neer vnto his death he desired that the passion of our Sauiour might be redde vnto him and when they came to the denial of Saynt Peter and how after Christe had looked back vpon him he went out and wepte bitterly the Bishop cried out and bid them stay there and see whether his sweet Sauiour wold vouchsafe also to looke back vpon him and geue him some part of Saynt Peters teares for sayth he negaui cum Petro extui cum Petro sed nondum fleui amare cum Petro I haue denied Christe with Peter meaning that subscription to the supremacie of king Henrie I haue gone out with Peter meaning the participatioÌ„ of that schisme but yet I haue not wepte bitterly with Peter so bitterly as I should do and by often repetition of those woordes and asking God sorgeuenes with cryes and syghes he intertayned himself vntill great floodes of teares came downe vpon him and so gaue vp the
ghost The second notable poynt which the Bishop vttered in this sermon was concerning king Henrie the eight his lord and mayster which moued the auditorie no lesse then the other And this was that the sayd king a litle before his death had dealt with him verie secretly and seriously to haue sent him to a certayne dyat in Germanie vnder pretence to treat other matters but in deed the cheef poynt should be to seeke out some honorable way and meanes as from himself and not from the king either by the Emperor legat popes Nuntio or other fit instrument to reconcyle him agayne to the church of Rome And this the Bishop affirmed to be most true vpon his oath and fidelitie to God and the world and to the memorie of the sayd king his master dead whome he shewed to loue so tenderly and dearly as he wepte most bitterly also in that place for that this holie motion had not taken the effect he desired attributing the let therof to Gods seuere iudgmentes and to the great difficulties which the sayd king found of making that recoÌ„ciliatioÌ„ with his honour and reputation which temporal honour he lamented much that it was more regarded by the king and some that counselled him then in so weightie a woork of eternall saluation ought to haue bin Thus then was the substance and these were the circumstances of that sermon Let vs now coÌ„sider whether the theam he tooke iam hora est nos de somno surgere were fit and to his purpose or no or whether it were prophanely blasphemously peruerted as this wise gentleman affirmeth who taketh vpon him to censure the matter First let it be considered that if euer any man of our realm might take vpon him to talk of a sleep or dream in matters of our coÌ„mon-wealth as a Counsellor and of his own knowledge Bishop Gardener might do it which had seen such alterations both of religion and temporalityes within our land such chopping and chaunging such pulling down and setting vp as he might fitly call the tyme a time of sleep or dream For as in a sleep things are represented to a man confusedly and out of hand they passe away and contrarie representations come in their place so had Bishop Gardener seen in the publique affaires of the realme no lesse alterations of comicall and tragical acts after he came to be a councellor For first he had seen his own king and maister king Henry the eight so earnest in the defence of the catholique faith of the sea of Rome in perticuler as he wrote a booke in defence therof though he were disswaded by some of his counsell to do it for reason of state And after that again being to send this very man Gardener then his secretarie to Rome for his Embassador about soliciting of the diuorce between himself and Queen Catherine he commanded him to tel the Pope and Colledge of Cardinales that whatsoeuer they determined in that matter he would accept it with all indifferencie and euer be a most obedient childe of the Romane churche And this commission he gaue him in the presence of Cardinal VVolsey and yet soone after he saw the same king so chaunged for the affection he bare to an other partie as he brake with the Pope and churche of Rome and pulled down the sayd Cardinal and put to death two of the men that he esteemed most for vertue and learning of all his realme or of any other forrain kingdome of Christendom and whom he had loued before exceedingly to wit Doctor Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas More Chancelor Again Gardener had seen the same king wax weary soone after of the party for whose loue he had first begun to make all those stirres and to put her to death openly and yet to continew his former breaches and to run from one difficulty to an other and from one inconuenience to an other neuer to stop the fountain from whence all this vnquietnes came He had seen him also passe from on wife to another to the number of six dismissing some and putting others to death according to the affection or disaffection which he bare to each of them for the time He had seen him make diuers and different actes of parlament in preiudice or preferment of his own children now for their legitimation and inheritance now for the contrarie as by the statutes themselues yet extant in print is euident to the world And from the liking or disliking of his said wiues he passed also to the liking or suspition of his own kinred subiects and familier frâ—nds of which he pulled downe so many as by the stories may be seen And Bishop Gardener was wont to say of him that knew him ful well that after he once left to loue that person which by Gods law and mannes he was bound to loue aboue all others to wit his first wife and Queen he neuer loued any person harâ—ely and constantly afterwards Moreouer he had seen the poore king so combered and troobled about matters of religion as was pitiful to behold For that on the one side the point of his spiritual Supremacy taken vp in his choleâ— against the Pope seemed to touch his honor so neare as he might not shew to yeeld any one iote therin and consequently he was fain to put to death all such Catholiques as denyed the same though otherwise he both loued and highly esteemed themâ— and on the other side his iudgement and conscience in matters of the Catholique truthe against the protestants and all new sectaries conuinced his conscience and vnderstanding as he cleerly vttered in the statute of six articles which iudgement also enforced him to burne as many of that fide â— were conuicted And finally being wearied towards his later end with these combats of conscience and honor iudgement and passion he conferreâ— with Bishop Gardener as you haue heard about the mayn remedy and only sure redresse of all which was his returning to the vnion of the Romane churche and the rest of Christendome And besides all this Bishop Gardener had seen the same afflicted king brought to such streights and doubts in his later howers of life about the weightiest affaires that he had in this world as he could not tell what to determine ordayne or establish for the securitie of his owne children espeâ—ially of his only sonne prince Edward thaâ— had but nyne yeares yet of age and for that cause was the fatherâ— hart more peâ—siue about him For first he was afeard to leaue any protector vnto him remembring the eueÌ„t of king Edward the fourâ—â— his children vnder their vncle protector the Duke of Glocester And secondly he was as greatly afeard and afflicted also to think least after his death the perilous waues and fluddes of heresies should enter vpon him by the very same gate that hymself had opened VVhetfore both these poyntes he forbad expresly and appoynted for execution therof sixteen
gouernours as I haue sayd with equal authoritie all in his opinion or the far greater parte very catholique But he was no sooner dead but all these orders of his were ouerthrowen and a protector made the third day after the kinges death and sone after religion changed and the law of six articles abrogated and as litle regard had to king Henries will and ordinances as if he had neuer byn king of this realme or mayster to the breakers And among other these changes was displaced Gardener himself one of the cheef of those sixteen appoynted for gouernours by king Henry and not only thrust from all authoritie but sent also to the tower of London prisoner as before I haue shewed and other Catholique Lordes remoued in lyke manner from the Councel for lyke endes and purposes Then began a new world of making new Lordes new Earles new Marqueses new Dukes in deuiding great states offices dignites in good felowship amonge themselues all in the name of the childe king though he were not yet crowned nor three weekes past synce his fathers death New men also were called out of Germany to wit Peter Martir and Martin Bucer two apostated friars with their wenches that had been Nunnes who must come to teache a new religion in England but with expresse condition to be indiffereÌ„t to reache that sect opinion either of Luther Swinglius or Caluin or other that should be determined and agreed vpon by the Parlament then in gathering together and so they were contented and with that condition they were sent the one to Oxford and the other to Cambrige Then was the new English forme of seruice drawen out in hast by certayne of the Protectors chaplayns in Somerset place in London not fully agreeing to any of the Captaynes doctrine aforesaid but somewhat mingled of them all and much also of the Catholique ryte and forme all which was approued soone after for apostolical and established by the lay part of the Parlament for the cleargie reclaymed and all men inforced to sweate vnto it and so for the old religion receaued by the vniuersal church and continued in England for aboue a thousand years and confirmed by so many miracles at the beginning as S. Bede and other ancient authors do affirme and allowed by the consent of all our learned English for so many ages now was there a new religion deuised in corners set vp by certayne obscure and hungrie fellowes in hast within the space of two monethes and authorized by a parlament of vnlearned lay men to be the rule of our saluation But in the meane space the Duke of Somerset now head of this church for that the childe king was at play could think nothing of it attended principally to his temporall aduancement to purchase good old land and caused his seruantes to set forward the new religion without troobling him therin saying that all should be examined and approued afterward by the authoritie of the yong king as trew head of the Church and so it was Then followed great tumultes and rebellious in the realme as also iarring and falling out of the great protestant Councellors among themselues The protector first cut of the head of his brother the Admiral and then the Earle of VVarwicke cut of the head of the Protector and diuers of his frendes and made himself duke of Northumberland and then plotted with the duke of Suffolke to cut of all king Henries children and to bring in Suffolkes daughter and Northumberlandes sonne as they did For which soone after both their heades were cut of also by Queen Marie and Catholique religion was restored agayne to the state wherin first it was when king Henry her father began this tragedie and first put all out of ioynt Thus passed the matter briefly and all this Bishop Gardener had seen and passed through and had plaied his parte in diuers actes and pageantes to wit as an actor in the beginnyng and as a patient after as hath byn shewed And being now restored to his old estate agayne and more ouer made Chancelour of the realme and looking back vpoÌ„ the dream past had he not trow you iust cause to preache hora iam est nos de somno surgere it is tyme to aryse from sleep wherin we haue slumbered these tweÌ„ty yeares and more in suche varietie of tossinges and to walk with more light and stead fastenes for the tyme to come let it be left I say to the iudgment of euerie discreet reader whether this theame parable were fitly chosen and wel applied by B. Gardener or no or rather blasphemously peruerted as our Hunting deuyne Sir Francis wil needs haue it and so much for this tyme of Bishop Gardener About C. Allen for that I haue byn ouer large in B. Gardeners affaires I meane to be verie breef so much the breefer for that the matters obiected agaynst him by this accuser are very cauils if we consider the substaÌ„ce of the thing it self for he sayth that this English traytor though he were a Cardinal at Rome and sworn to the Popes paÌ„table hath sent froÌ„ thence many slanderous and seditious pamphlets and in one which was the treatise against the English execution of iustice he seemeth to wish that doctor Sanders and doctor Bristow had spared to speak so much in defence of Pius Quintus Bul agaynst her Maiestie and yet he doubteth not to affirme that these two learned men of â—reat zele and excellencie had their special reasons to do so which he will neither desend nor reproue c. And further he proceedeth sayth this maÌ„ to excuse all the preestes and studentes beyond the seas and all such as haue come ouer and saith that all of them â—ince that censure of his holinesse to vse sayth he his owne wordes did vse all â—euerence and respect to her Maiestie vttering in no preaching speach or booke â—o not at the houre of their death and martyrdome nor euer before in any their confessions to the magistrate any disloyal word agaynst her Maiestie These woordes recyteth Hastinges out of the discourse against their English iustice as wordes of moderation or rather blushing as he â—ermeth them for that which was done before and yet he sayth that â—n an other treatise of defence of Sir VVilliam Stanlies act in geuing â—uer Deuentrie to the king of Spayne the Cardinal cometh to â—tter himself as far as either Sanders or Bristow or any other in approbation of the sayd excomunication which thing albeit this kinght â—o greatly condemne yet cannot I any thing marueyle thereat considering that the Cardinals opinion being as he was could be no other in substance touching matters of controuersie then was that of doctor Sanders doctor Bristow and the rest And though for peace â—â—oderation and edification he liked wel in others and specially â—n the yonger sorte of preestes that they should auoyd all occasion of â—ateful speach in this odious
for a further perfection it be seasoned also with a dram or two of your English sole faith bare beleef to the contempt and hatred of all good woorkes this hart I say and the onely bare sence thereof which you repuire is sufficient not onely to resist the bewitching of recusants good life but of all other Saintes besides and of Christe himself and to condemn their scrupulous standing in defence of their consciences for folly or hipocrisie as heer you do the scrupulosity of English recusantes for refusing to go to churche but we do measure the matter by an other ballance then by the sense of so bare an English hart and so no merueil though we agree not in the weight and poyz of that which is weighed And thus I might leaue Sir Francis now with some disaduantage perhaps of his side as he before in haste would leaue the recusantes were it not that I desire to see some proofe also of his skil and learning as we haue seen ouer much of his lauishing tongue and rayling Let vs examin then how substantially he doth prooue that Catholique recusautes ought to make no more bones at the matter but go to the Protestantes churches without staggering or scruple I hold it saith he for a sound ground and not to be controlled that euery christian ought to striue to keep these three thinges sound within his brest his conscience before God his loyaltie to his prince and his loue to his countrie All which three for my parte I account so nearly conioyned each to other as they cannot iustly be seuered Heer I will pose Sir Francis in this his position and grownd which he saith is so vniuersally true as it may not be controlled and therby you shal see both the knightes diuinity and conscience together Can a mannes conscience to God neuer be iustly seuered from the external obedience of his prince and naturall loue of his country How then was Abraham commanded by God to abandon his country and Lot the same How were the ten tribes of Israel incited by God as himself testifyeth after to leaue their obedience to their lawful and natural king Roboam and the loue they had to their ancient common-wealth and to set vp Ieroboam a stranger against the one and the other How did Elizeus the Prophet send one of his disciples to persuade Iehu a subiect to rise and rebel against his lawful and natural king and maister Ioram and to slay both him and his mother the Queen together as he did and turned vpside down that whole common-wealth How did the Prophet Ieremie perswade the inhabitantes of Hierusalem to deliuer vp that cittie and common-wealth agaynst the kinges will into the handes of the enemie Nabuchodonasor and his captaynes which seemed great treason both to king and countrie and yet was allowed or rather commanded by God himself And to come neer home to Christian Princes how did that famous holy Athanasius so often abandon his countrie of Egipt and Alexandria and resist the commandmentes of diuers Emperours his temporal liege lordes though infected with heresie How did Eusebius Vercellensis Hilarius of france and others do the same resisting both Prince and countrie for religions sake as most notoriously is knowen And can there no cause then fall out which maie iustly seuer a mans conscience from the temporal obeying of his Princes wil and commandement or the lawes of his countrie VVhat Aâ—heist would euer say so or what fond man would euer put a position for absolute and vncontrolable that may be checked with so many instances to the contrarie for except he wil say a prince cannot erre nor command a thing dissonant to Gods law or to right reason or good conscience or that a mannes countrie cannot go wrong or runn astray or that we are bound to conforme our consciences to whatsoeuer the prince or countrie apointeth be it right or wrong in matters of religion there is no way to defend this fond principle and heathenish position The wisdom of God saieth to a deuout soule Auâ—i filia vide c. Hearken daughter and consider and bend thy eare and forget thy owne people and thy fathers house c. Christe also alloweth greatly of them that dispise father and mother and countrie and kinred yea they are willed to hate them and to make war against them for his sake and consequently also the like is willed against princes in the same cause for that the obligation to obey fathers is greater then to princes and so we see that there may happen occasions wherin conscience to God may be iustly seuered from obedience to princes and from worldly loue to our earthly countrie But for that this animalis homo as before hath bin noted doth not perceiue nor feel the things that be of the spirit of God I wil reason no further in spiritual conceiptes with him but wil pose him with more palpable argumentes about his own protestantes Let him tel me then what did the protestantes that fled to Geneua in Queen Maries time or rebelled at home those that rose in Scotland against their true lawful Queenes the mother and daughter Those that haue made warres so many yeares in Flanders and France against their natural true kinges went all those three thinges together in them to wit conscience to God obedience to their princes and loue to the present state of their countries Speak heer Sir knight and defend your sound ground and vncontrollable position you see how vayne and false a proposition it is but yet the refuge of this peoples defence in all their fancies and follies is their shew of some wordes of Scripture to proue the same wherin also our knight will needes proue himself a Rabbyne Let vs examin briefly how substantially he performeth the matter Our conscience saith he cannot but tell vs that all obedience is dew to the soueraigne Magistrate for we are taught it out of the booke of conscience the holie scriptures which teach vs that we must subiect our selues to all manner of ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the king as vnto the superior c. Thus far Sir Francis And heerby you shal discern how wholesome a thing Scripture is in the hand of an ignorant or sensual mynded man euen as pretious stones before hogges as Scripture it self doth à ffirm For in these few wordes as Sir Francis alleageth them may be founded the perfect sect of the Herodians that made Herods pleasure the rule and platforme of their conscience and actions Our conscience sayth he must needes tel vs that all obedience is due to the soueraigne Magistrate Yea all obedience what conscience the knight teleth vs of the conscience of an atheist or of a seruile minde proiected to the beck and pleasure of earthly princes Sure I am that the conscience of Saint Peter and his fellow Apostles taught them not so